Listen With Your Heart
by A.L. Rules
Summary: The most important conversations in life are felt, not heard. Be sure to listen with your heart. AH/OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me! **

**Author's Note: Much love and many thanks to my beta, iadorepugs, who agreed to take this ride with me once again - I couldn't (and wouldn't want to) do this without you. And if you enjoy what you read, make sure to thank athomejo, who encourages me not to scrap my words when I get frustrated. She's the best bestie a girl could ask for!**

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Chapter 1

Dear Ms. Swan:

Thank you for submission of your fall and winter class schedules along with your application for graduation. We regret to inform you that you are currently ineligible for graduation at the end of winter term. Our records show that you have not met the following requirements for your Bachelor of Arts degree: A three (3) semester proficiency in a foreign language. Please contact your undergraduate advisor to discuss your options.

Very truly yours,

Shelley Cope  
Dean, Academic Advisory Office

I stared at the letter in disbelief. What the hell?

No, they were wrong—I had fulfilled all the requirements. I met with my academic advisor just last semester to discuss exactly this. While it was true that I didn't have the language proficiency usually required for a Bachelor of the Arts degree, Ms. Mallory had assured me that I would not have any problem meeting the graduation requirements, that the university would make an exception due to my outstanding academic achievements.

The conversation was clear in my mind. Bella, don't worry about it. You're practically a straight-A student – it's not like the university is going to refuse to graduate you just because you don't have foreign language credits.

This letter was obviously a mistake. I picked up the phone and called the counseling office.

"How may I direct your call?" a bored voice asked on the other end.

"Lauren Mallory, please."

A pause. "May I have your name, please?"

"Sure. I'm Isabella Swan, and I just got a letter..."

"One moment, please," the voice replied smoothly, placing me on hold. I listened to the irritating hold music and glanced through the contents of the letter again, feeling even more certain that this was all a misunderstanding.

"Hello, Ms. Swan, this is Shelley Cope, the dean of the academic advisory office. Thank you for your call. I'd like to meet with you, if you could please come down to the office this afternoon."

It was a bit of a shock to hear the voice of the head of the department. "I'm sorry, Dean Cope, I was calling to speak with Lauren Mallory."

"Yes, Ms. Swan, I know that. I am available this afternoon at 3 o'clock, if that works for you."

"Um, yeah, sure," I responded, starting to feel uncomfortable. What the hell was going on?

"All right, I will see you then. Please bring your letter with you."

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**Yes, it's short. Most chapters will be a little bit longer, but not much. It's pre-written, pre-betaed, and will be updating 2-3 times a week as my schedule allows until it's complete. Please let me know your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's Note: Love to my team, iadorepugs and athomejo for their support and encouragement. And many thanks to all of you who read Chapter 1 and are back for more. **

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Chapter 2

I clung to that letter like a lifeline, nervously waiting for my name to be called. There were several other students in the waiting room, with expressions that ranged from nervous to nauseous. The longer I waited, the more I leaned toward the latter.

"Isabella Swan!"

I stood quickly and wiped my damp palms on my jeans. I was led back through the cubicle maze to an office at the end of the hallway. The student assistant knocked twice on the door, opening it to a muffled "Enter," and ushering me inside.

The older, gray-haired woman behind the desk motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs. I sank down without a word. Shelley Cope was a legend and institution around these hallowed halls. I had heard my freshman year that she was a by-the-book kind of woman; the rules were the rules, and those who did not abide by them would be damned. This was my first ever meeting with her, and I could understand why people were intimidated by her just from her appearance and demeanor.

"Ms. Swan, thank you for meeting with me today. I assume that you called because of the letter you received from our office?"

"Um, yes, that's right. I sent in my application for graduation, and received this letter in response," I mumbled, handing it to her.

Mrs. Cope glanced at the letter quickly and frowned. "Ah yes, you're one of our lacks-language B.A. candidates."

"I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding," I stated, already starting to ramble in nervousness. "While I do not have a three-semester proficiency in a foreign language, Ms. Mallory assured me..."

"Ah yes, Ms. Mallory," Dean Cope interrupted, and I shrank back in my seat again. "Ms. Mallory is no longer employed by this university. I'm afraid that yours is not the only case in which she gave ... incorrect counseling." She looked at me over the top of her thick-rimmed glasses, and I felt my stomach plunge.

"But you don't understand," I said, my voice betraying my desperation. "I met with Ms. Mallory, and she told me that I could graduate without the language requirement. She told me that there was no way that the university would deny me graduation. I start my student teaching next month. I'm a Phi Beta Kappa, set to graduate cum laude, and I already have a job that is dependent on me getting my degree in the spring!"

I saw a hint of compassion in Dean Cope's eyes. "Ms. Swan, that is precisely the reason Ms. Mallory is no longer in our employ. She did not have the authority to tell you the things she did, and there are no notes in your file to even indicate that such a conversation ever took place." She sighed heavily. "I'm afraid that the only way you may graduate with your B.A. from this institution is to show a three-semester proficiency in a foreign language. An alternative is to switch your program to a Bachelor of Science degree, but that would require three additional classes, and I see that you are lacking the prerequisites for two of those classes, so you'd actually need five additional classes."

I couldn't stop the tears from spilling over, although I tried valiantly not to snot-snob as I was prone to do under stress. Dean Cope nudged the tissue box in my direction, and I gratefully grabbed a handful, dabbing at my eyes and discreetly wiping my nose.

"Ms. Swan, the university is not unsympathetic to your plight. Indeed, you are a model student, exactly the kind of young woman we are proud to matriculate. We would like to help you succeed in your efforts to graduate on time."

She placed another paper on the desk in front of me. "For those students who have been ... adversely affected ... by Ms. Mallory's erroneous academic advice, we are offering accelerated courses of study. We are offering placement in the 101 of your language choice this semester, with placement upon passing in a blended 102/201 in the second semester, to fulfill your language requirement. That structure will allow you to graduate on time, and save you the cost of a third class. We are assigning each of you a tutor in your chosen language, free-of-charge, although given your academic record, Ms. Swan, you will undoubtedly excel."

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**Please leave me your thoughts - see you tomorrow!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's Note: Thanks so much to SunflowerFran, who recced** _Listen With Your Heart _**in her FB group, and welcome to all who have journeyed over from there! And y'all know how much I love iadorepugs and athomejo - they are the best ever!**

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Chapter 3

Dean Cope smiled at me as though I had just won the lottery, whereas I felt I was facing the gallows.

_Didn't she know? _"Um, Dean Cope, do you have all of my records there? My entire academic transcript?" I asked meekly.

"Of course, Ms. Swan. You are an exemplary student. Why, you've only had two classes where you've achieved less than an A," the Dean said with a proud, almost motherly smile, tapping the file before her.

"But I cannot study languages," I said a bit desperately. "Not that I don't want to, I literally cannot." God, it was so humiliating explaining this yet again. Some people suck at math. Others have a hard time with reading or writing. I, Bella Swan, suffer from xenoglossophobia – the fear of foreign languages. I know what you're thinking, but don't laugh – it's a real thing. And now it's gotten me into some real trouble.

Dean Cope looked at me quizzically, then opened the folder in front of her, her eyes scanning my records. "It says here that you registered for French 101 your freshman year, but that you withdrew during the second week of classes?" She looked up to me for an explanation.

"Yes. I attended all the classes, participated in the labs, and yet I failed the first exam. With a 32%. The professor told me that French isn't easy for everyone, so maybe I should try another language."

Dean Cope looked back down. "I see. And it appears that you tried German your sophomore year? Both first and second semester?"

"I withdrew the first time after failing two quizzes and a chapter test. My grade at the end of two weeks was a 49%. So I registered for it second semester, thinking I would retain at least a little from the first semester, but had to withdraw after the third week, after failing two quizzes and two tests with a cumulative 43%."

Dean Cope's eyes widened. "You did worse the second semester? Covering the same material as the first?" She sounded a little stunned.

My cheeks were permanently red. "Yes," I admitted meekly.

"And I see you attempted Spanish last year?"

"Yes," I squeaked. "I withdrew on the very last day that I could without having it impact my grade point. I attended every class, I attended every lab, I paid for a tutor, and..." I could feel the tears in my eyes, "I failed the first three quizzes, and got a 44% on the exam."

"Oh... my," Dean Cope said, clearly at a loss for words.

"I went to Ms. Mallory first, before withdrawing from the class, and she assured me that the university wouldn't stop me from graduating just because I was missing those language credits." I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed in frustration. "I should have known better. Or I should have got it in writing," I joked darkly.

"It wouldn't have done any good, Ms. Mallory never had the authority to override university matriculation requirements," Dean Cope said, actually sounding like she wished the same thing.

I felt a wave of despair crash over me at the thought of failure. _Failure? Bingo! _"Wait, can I take these courses pass/fail? I'm sure I could figure out enough to pass on that scale."

Dean Cope shook her head. "I'm sorry, but general education requirements must be taken for a grade."

"Shit. Oops, sorry, Dean Cope."

"Don't worry, Ms. Swan. I've said much stronger words since all this started," she said sympathetically. She sighed heavily and then snapped my folder shut, looking up at me with a determined expression. "All right, let's come up with an action plan, Ms. Swan. Here is a listing of the language offerings. Please take it home and look through it. Once you've decided what language you'd like to take, please call my office and we will arrange for your admission to the class and your tutor."

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**Please let me know your thoughts - see you again tomorrow!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Love my team, love my readers - 'nuf said.**

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Chapter 4

When I got home from my meeting, I did what every grown woman who faces a crisis does – I FaceTimed my mom.

"Bella! What a surprise to hear from you. How is my baby girl doing?" My mom's cheerful voice and bright smile broke through the dam holding back my panic, and I started to sob. Loudly.

"Mo-om!" I wailed.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay? What is it, sweetie?" My mom's voice was frantic, and I immediately felt awful for panicking her.

I took a deep, shuddering breath to calm myself. I explained my conversation with Dean Cope, detailing how Lauren's bad advice was jeopardizing not just my graduation next spring, but other students' futures as well.

"That Ms. Mallory, what a bad egg," my mom said harshly. I smiled involuntarily – I had never once heard my mom swear, and even under these dire circumstances she kept her cool.

"Mom, what am I going to do? I don't have enough time to switch to a Bachelor of Science. And I already checked - I can't get a disability waiver for a phobia." Yeah, I was desperate enough to have asked.

My mom was sympathetic but firm. "You'll do whatever it takes - you'll utilize the tutoring office, and you'll work your behind off like you always do. You can do it, Bella, I know you can. And you've got the university offering extra help and your choice of classes. So what's it going to be? What are your language options?"

I sighed - she was right, it was time to face my fears. I read from Dean Cope's list. "Arabic, ASL, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish."

"Well, you've already tried German, French, and Spanish, so those are out, unless you think you can remember anything from those?" My mother's voice was hopeful.

I shook my head. "Definitely not—I don't want to revisit those disasters. I should start clean, do something entirely different."

She repeated the classes back, then asked, "What's ASL?"

"I'm not sure, let me ask the Google," I said. "It stands for American Sign Language."

"So it's English, right? You did great in your English and lit classes, so maybe you can get past your foreign language block and pass?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm a music education major, mom – not much call for sign language in music, is there?" I replied sarcastically.

"Bella!" my mom admonished, giving me that disappointed look that always made me squirm as a kid. I guess I haven't grown up completely yet, because she could still make me squirm.

"What? It's not like they can hear the music," I defended, feeling an embarrassed blush flood my cheeks.

"And exactly how much Russian do you plan to use in teaching?" my mother replied acerbically, reminding me that this nut hadn't fallen too far from that tree. "Besides, you don't need the language for teaching, you need it for your degree."

She was right, I needed to look at this just like any other general education class that I had to take but had no intention of using. Like my geology lab, or that god-awful philosophy class that hat given me my lowest grade to date. Maybe if I thought of the class as a degree requirement and not a foreign language, I could do it.

My mom was nodding enthusiastically now. "Maybe ASL is different, based in English. Besides, you talk with your hands all the time, and you use your hands when you're conducting, so that's practically the same, right? Easy peasy."

The lump in my throat said otherwise, but I hoped and prayed that my mom was correct. "Sure, mom, easy peasy."

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**Please let me know what you think - see you tomorrow!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: I send my unending love to iadorepugs and athomejo, and many thanks to all who have taken the time to read and review - I really appreciate hearing from each and every one of you.**

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Chapter 5

Classes were due to start soon, and I needed to get a head start if I was going to pass. Luckily, my tutor was available to begin right away, so I headed over to meet with him.

As a future educator, I was all about using the tools that were available, and I was grateful the university was offering the extra help I was going to need. But I had spent a lot of time in the learning center during my failed attempts at other foreign languages. Those memories added to my nervousness, and I worked to quell the sick feeling in my stomach as I breezed into the room.

"Hey, Bella, how ya doin?" a familiar voice called out. Tyler Crowley, another education major with whom I had shared several classes, was sitting behind the desk. I had forgotten that he was one of the tutoring office administrators.

"Great, Tyler. Hey, I'm here to meet Edward Cullen?"

"Sure, he's right over there, grey jacket, with his back to us. Good luck – he's not much of a talker," Tyler said with a snicker. I gave him an odd look, and walked over to meet my new tutor.

I didn't want to startle him, so as I approached, I called out, "Hey, you're Edward, right? I'm Bella, your new student."

No response. I looked for ear buds, but he wasn't wearing any, just staring intently at his computer screen.

"Are you Edward Cullen?" I asked, a little louder this time.

No response again. _Rude much?_ I thought.

Impatient, I tapped him on the shoulder. "Didn't you hear me calling you? Are you deaf or something?" I joked.

His eyes were narrowed as he studied my lips. "Yes, I am Deaf," he responded, his voice a flat, slightly nasal monotone, while he raised one hand to his forehead, tapping his fingers in a "V" shape.

I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

He arched an eyebrow at me, then held his hands out, palms up.

"What?" I asked, dropping my hands.

"What did you say?" he asked, gesturing with his hands again.

"I said I'm sorry," I said slowly, enunciating my words so that he could understand.

He rolled his eyes. _Guess that's universal_, I thought.

"You don't need to speak slow. I can't hear you, but I'm not stupid, and I can read your lips. I just need to see them. So please face me, and you don't cover your mouth, okay?" His tone was still flat, and he sounded irritated. And I was more than a little intimidated by his stare, which jumped from my eyes, to my lips, and back to my eyes again, his green gaze intense.

I'd have to be blind not to notice that even irritated, he was extremely attractive, with wild, reddish-brown hair, a sculpted jaw, and a nice-looking build underneath his jacket. Of course, his appeal only made me more nervous, and I could feel my cheeks redden as he continued to stare at me. "Okay?" he repeated.

"Oh, yeah, okay. Sorry. Let me try this again. I'm Bella Swan, your new student." I could hear Tyler laughing over behind the desk, and I shot him a dirty look.

"Hi, Bella. My name is Edward Cullen. Dean Cope told me about you. Shall we get started?" He actually smiled at me this time, and I felt my heart beat a little faster when a dimple appeared in his left cheek above his crooked grin. _God, he's so cute! _Despite my fear of this class, I suddenly had a reason to look forward to learning ASL!

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**Hope you enjoyed meeting Bella's tutor! See you again on Monday.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Welcome to a new week. As I've stated before, iadorepugs and athomejo are the best! Thanks to all who have read and reviewed - I appreciate your thoughts.**

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Chapter 6

It didn't take me long to decide that I was **not** looking forward to learning ASL. No matter how attractive Edward Cullen was, this class was already kicking my ass, and my first session wasn't even until tomorrow.

After putting our disastrous introduction behind us, Edward got right down to business.

He handed me a set of flashcards that looked like they were made for toddlers and told me to learn the alphabet. I was to let him know when I had mastered my name. It looked simple enough, but the movements were foreign. My fingers were stiff and stubborn, and Edward's intense gaze made me flub on the simplest of movements.

The relative silence in which we worked threw me off as well. I'm a music education major – noise is literally my field of study. I've been playing piano since I was four, and taking voice lessons since I was six. For years, I have been studying, listening to, and performing all types of music. My life had a soundtrack, so the quiet in which I was beginning my ASL education, even though it made sense, was foreign to me.

By the time I was finally able to spell out "Isabella Swan" without error, we had already reached the end of our allotted hour, and Edward had another student waiting.

He handed me another packet of children's flashcards. As he spoke, his hands flashed quickly, and I realized that he was signing as he spoke. "These are glosses you need to learn," he said.

"What are glosses?" I asked dumbly, flipping through the cards.

I jumped a little when I felt Edward touch my face, lifting my chin, and I realized that my hair had swung forward and he couldn't read my lips. "What, Bella?" he asked.

"What are glosses?" I asked again, facing him.

"Signs for common words and phrases. Like this," he said, pointing to one of the cards. He pinched his index finger and thumb together on each hand, placed them near his nose, and moved them away from his face like he was stroking whiskers. "This gloss means 'cat,' instead of spelling C-A-T. It would take hours to fingerspell everything."

Huh, that actually made sense to me, and I wondered how you signed dog, and hamster, and bowling ball, and ... _whoa, rein it in Swan, and focus_.

Edward hadn't noticed my preoccupation and he continued to speak and sign. "Keep working on your alphabet, memorize those glosses, and meet me here before your class tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay, thanks," I sighed heavily, putting the cards and my notes into my backpack and heading to the door.

"You're taking ASL?" Tyler asked as I approached the desk.

"Yeah, my last-ditch effort to learn a language," I told him, not wanting to share the details about my graduation dilemma.

"Guess we'll be seeing you around here a lot, then. Hey, you wanna to grab a cup of coffee or something?" he invited, and I recognized a gleam of interest in his eyes.

_Ewww, just no. _Not to mention I was still pissed about his immature comment and laughter earlier. "No thanks, Tyler," I replied.

He reached over and tried to touch my hand, but I pulled back and glared at him. "The invitation still stands, if you change your mind," he said.

"I won't. Have a good day."

I glanced back to see Edward watching us. His gaze was narrowed, and he looked irritated again. Then his attention shifted as he was approached by a pretty, redheaded girl, and I felt a twinge of jealousy as a warm smile stole over his features. The two of them signed back and forth with enthusiasm, their hands and figures moving a mile a minute.

Would I ever be able to communicate that effortlessly? This was going to be just as hard as any of the other languages I had already failed, but this time, withdrawal wasn't an option. Somehow, with Edward's help, I was going to learn ASL.

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**Thanks for reading - please take a moment to leave me your thoughts. See you again tomorrow!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: My love and admiration for iadorepugs and athomejo is well known - they are the best! Thanks to Teh Lemonade Stand for including _Listen With Your Heart _in their Fresh Squeezed Fic Recs for this week - welcome new readers and welcome back to the rest.**

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Chapter 7

I arrived early to the tutoring center the next morning, excited to show off what I had learned the night before. In between planning lessons for my student teaching, I had been watching ASL videos online, and studying the gloss flashcards Edward had given me. My mom was right – this was going to be easy peasy.

When I spotted Edward in the same seat as yesterday, I approached him and tapped him on the shoulder. I waited until he turned around, and then I signed, "Good morning, Edward Cullen. I am Bella Swan, and I am learning ASL."

He studied my hands with a puzzled look, then looked up to my face. "Again, and speak?" he asked.

I repeated the glosses and fingerspellings, and watched as his eyes darted from my hands, to my lips, and back again.

"Again?" he requested.

I repeated it once again, feeling proud of the work I had put in yesterday. When I was finished, I sat back and smiled, waiting for his feedback.

"Wow, you really suck at this," Edward said, chuckling.

"Excuse me?" I demanded, feeling my cheeks burn with anger and embarrassment. Here I had been hoping to impress him, and instead all I did was prove to him what a clueless idiot I was.

Edward's gaze met mine, and his face transformed with remorse. "I'm sorry, Bella, I shouldn't have said that. But what you were speaking, and what you were signing, they didn't match."

"But I worked so hard," I said, grateful that he couldn't hear me whine. "I practiced, I swear I did."

"I'm sure you did, Bella. Your letters are better than yesterday, but ASL is very precise. Your hand position is everything; if you hold your fingers wrong, it can have a completely different meaning." He showed me how I had confused my finger positions on the Ds and As in both Edward and Bella. Then he showed me a shortened gloss for his name, a "name sign" that he used, morphing from an E to a W and tapping it on his chest. I copied the gloss, and he grinned in approval.

"And when you say 'good morning,' don't put your hand between your elbow and forearm, but next to it. Next to it means good morning. Tucked between is a street sign for 'fuck you'," he said with a laugh.

I giggled at the unexpected vulgarity and his quick grin, still somewhat embarrassed, as he walked me through what I had tried to sign to him. After the third go-round, I was able to sign the simple phrases without mistake.

The watch on his wrist vibrated and emitted a buzzing noise, and he glanced at it. "It's time for class," he said, his hands moving quicker than his speech. "I'll see you back here in a couple of days for our next session?"

I used the gloss for 'yes,' and Edward smiled at me again. "Keep working on your fingerspelling and glosses. And I want you to look up some glosses on your own. I want you to tell me a little about you, what your major is, and what you are going to do after graduation, okay?"

I glossed **yes** again. "Will you do the same?" I asked, anxious to learn a little more about him.

He smiled shyly and nodded, that crooked grin and dimple winking from his cheek making my heart beat faster once again.

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**Thanks for reading. If you could please take a moment to share your thoughts, I'd appreciate it. **

**See you tomorrow!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: My ever-lasting love to iadorepugs and athomejo, and thanks to all who have read, followed, favoritied, and reviewed - I appreciate it!**

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Chapter 8

I met with Edward three times a week for the first two weeks of school, each time just before my ASL class. We continued to work on the alphabet and simple glosses, and I was actually able to hold my own during in-class drills.

Edward's exercises for me were always similar to what we were learning in class, and I was grateful for his foresight. I had stumbled my way through the introduction he had assigned me, but that lead to a smoother performance when I had to give the same presentation to the class.

Through his own introduction, I had learned that Edward was two years older than me, with a graduation date of next spring as well. At first I wondered if his deafness had held him back in school, but quickly learned that he was off-the-charts smart. He already held a bachelor's degree in education; his extra time in school was to finish a second degree in mathematics, with a chemistry minor. He told me he wanted to teach Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, who often processed subjects like math and science differently.

Of his students, I was the only one he was actually tutoring in ASL. Victoria, the redhead he had met immediately after our first session, was another of his students, taking accelerated calculus. He also led small study groups for organic chemistry and statistics, which had both hearing and Deaf students. He always seemed to be at the tutoring center. I wondered when the in world he had time to do his own studying.

We had met for about 30 minutes this morning to go over the material for my first test, and I had left for class full of confidence. I just knew with the help my tutor, I was going to ace this one. I returned to the tutoring lab an hour later, nearly in tears.

I found Edward at our usual study table, working on his laptop. He jumped when I slammed my backpack down, glowering until he realized it was me. His face morphed into one of concern, and he held up his hand with his pinky and thumb extended, tapping his folded fingers on his chin twice.

"What?" I mumbled, staring down at the table.

Edward reached over and touched my hand, waiting for me to look up again before he repeated the gesture, adding the spoken words, "What's wrong?"

"This," I said, throwing my first ASL test down on the table. A big red "54%" was written across the top. "I failed, Edward. All that studying, all that practicing, and I failed. Just like I always do."

I could feel my tears well up. "I can't do this. All I've been doing is studying, and practicing, and it doesn't seem to matter. I start student teaching next week, and I'm going to have even less time to study. There's no way I can keep up. You must think I'm so stupid. I **am** so stupid."

Edward was watching me, a small smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes. "What?!" I huffed, irritated.

"Do you know you were signing some of what you were just saying to me?" he asked.

I looked down at my hands, which I realized I had been waving around as I spoke. "Oh, I talk with my hands all the time. I think it's because I direct music and use my hands all the time for that," I dismissed.

"No, Bella, you were fingerspelling. You can do this, you're already learning. And no, I don't think you're stupid. I know this is hard for you, but I know that you can do it. _We _can do it, together," he said, gesturing between the two of us before reaching over and patting my hand again.

My fingers tingled where his hand touched mine, and I pushed down the butterflies "How am I going to keep up?" I asked, feeling the hopelessness creep back in when I saw the red score on my paper.

"I've been too easy on you, it's time to buckle down. We're going full immersion. From now on, no more talking. We will communicate only in sign, understand?"

"I can't do that!" I hissed.

Edward signed _what?_

"I can't do that!" I said again, louder.

He actually laughed. "Raising your voice doesn't work with me. Sign only from now on – get used to it!"

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**Please consider leaving me some feedback. See you again tomorrow!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: iadorepugs and athomejo are the best - any mistakes are mine because I continue to tinker after they fix. Any ASL mistakes are also mine - although I do my best with my dictionaries, Google, and Youtube, it only goes so far sometimes!**

**Thanks to everyone who has taken a chance on this story - I love to hear your thoughts!**

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Chapter 9

_* Note – italics indicates Edward signing. _**Bold **_denotes Bella signing._

At Edward's urging, I asked my professor if I could retake my test, and I was practically skipping when I joined him in the tutoring center. "I passed, can you believe it? I actually passed!" I sang, dropping my paper with its bright red "C" in front of Edward. It was officially the highest grade I had ever received in a language class, and I was over the moon.

Edward shook his head, looked at my hands, and signed _what?_ to me.

I knew he had read my lips from the proud grin he gave me moments ago, and I rolled my eyes. I painstakingly spelled out my phrase, and he showed me the correct glosses to convey the same message with fewer movements.

**Pass test me**? I signed. Edward nodded. **That sounds funny.**

Edward nodded again, and broke his own rule, talking as he signed. "ASL isn't the same as translating spoken words into sign language. It has its own syntax, word order, and shortcuts. We use a lot fewer words. Instead of 'Hello, my name is Edward,' I would sign 'Hi Edward me'."

I copied his gestures, signing **Hi Bella me**. It was much quicker and simpler than all the fingerspelling I had done previously. I wondered aloud what other shortcuts I was missing.

Edward spoke and signed for me again. _I've got a game that might help. Let's play 20 questions. If you don't know a word while we're playing, fingerspell it, and I'll teach you the gloss. Deal?_

I could tell he was using a lot of the shortcuts, as he made a lot fewer signs than words he spoke. It was going to take some getting used to. **Ok. You first**.

_What's your favorite color? _He spelled it out for me until I was able to translate, then showed me the proper glosses for the shortened version, _you favorite color what?_

Until recently, my favorite color had been a typical girlie color – purple. But since starting my tutoring lessons, I was drawn more to a lush emerald green, like the color of Edward's eyes. I blushed when I met his gaze, then looked down at my hands. **Green**, I fingerspelled. **You?**

He tapped my hand to get my attention, then shook his head. _Answer full. You favorite color what?_

Reorganizing my thoughts to answer in the correct syntax was harder to do than I realized. **My favorite color green.**

_Better! Now let's learn colors._We worked out way through the spectrum and he showed me all the color glosses. By the time our time was up, I knew the whole rainbow and then some. My favorite sign was **yellow**, which made me feel like a surfer hanging ten as I shook my fingers in the "Y" sign.

_Good work, _he signed, but I didn't recognize the sign at the end. He formed the letter B with his right hand, and held it in front of his left shoulder, circling it in a clockwise motion before making a fist.

**What sign this? **I asked, signing it back to him.

_I gave you a name sign, _he signed, repeating the motion. _Sign a "B," circle your hand near your left shoulder, and end in an "A" sign. _

I had learned in class that being given a name sign by a Deaf person was an honor, and I was very pleased he had given me my own gloss. I practiced the sign, and he corrected my movement and finger position.

When I signed it again, Edward grinned and nodded. _Perfect. See you Wednesday?_

**Yes**, I glossed back, starting to gather my materials. **Wait**, I signed. **You favorite color what?**

He paused for a moment, then signed _brown_, and I could almost swear his gaze flicked to my hair before going back to my hands.

I grinned, shaking my head as I teased him. **Answer full. You favorite color what?**

He laughed, the sound musical to my ears after the past hour of near silence. _My favorite color brown like Bella hair._

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	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy Friday, everyone! My eternal gratitude goes to iadorepugs and athomejo - they are my favorites! And thanks to everyone who has read, favorited, followed, and/or reviewed. I can't believe we're almost up to 200 reviews already!**

* * *

Chapter 10

The first half of the semester flew by. I started my student teaching at a local high school every afternoon, assisting in two classes of instrumental music, and one class of voice. The students were usually pretty friendly – the boys sometimes too much. Of course, there was only one boy that I really wanted to be too friendly with, and he hadn't so much as made a move since disclosing that his favorite color was the color of my hair.

I continued to hold my grade at a solid C in ASL, the only academic class I had this semester. Even though it was going to tank my grade point average, I was grateful to be passing and seemed to be getting over my foreign language block.

I had to give credit where it was due – Edward was truly the only reason I was doing as well in class as I was. As hard as it was to adhere to his sign-only rule, it really did force me to commit the ASL vocabulary to memory. I signed so frequently that I found myself doing it along with regular conversations outside of ASL, which, as Edward reminded me, was the whole point.

We had been playing our 20-questions game for weeks now, covering all of the introductory topics as he helped me learn the glosses I needed for tests. In addition to learning standard vocab like colors, time, directions, and places, we covered fun personal topics like favorite foods, books, movies, and hobbies.

I felt like I was really getting to know Edward, which admittedly only made my crush stronger. He was an only child. He preferred action and fantasy movies. He loved Harry Potter and surprisingly, Shakespeare, although he said it was really hard to translate to ASL. He would eat pretty much anything, although he was exceptionally fond of sweets. He enjoyed math puzzles and riddles that boggled my mind in their complexity. I committed each little detail to memory, always anxious to learn more about him.

My midterm was a week away when I finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that I'd been curious about from the beginning.

**Have you always been deaf?**

He looked startled by my question, and appeared to debate whether to answer or not. Finally, he replied _no._

**How long have you been deaf?**

_Since I was five._

**Did something happen, or did you gradually lose your hearing?**

_I don't like to talk about it. _

He wouldn't make eye contact, which told me he was upset, and I felt terrible for pushing him. I tapped his arm and waited for him to look up, then signed clumsily, **I'm sorry.**

_Think of the most painful memory you have. Do you want to talk about it?_

**No.**

_Me either._

**Ok. I'm sorry**, I signed again.

Edward sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. I was startled when he began to speak – it had been a while since I'd heard his voice. He kept his eyes closed as he spoke softly and signed.

_When I was five, I was riding in the car with my mom and dad. We were on our way to visit my grandparents. I was sleeping and don't remember the crash. The car hit a patch of ice, went over a guardrail, and down the hill, flipping several times. I woke up in the hospital three weeks later. My right leg and arm were broken, my entire head was wrapped in bandages, and I couldn't hear. My arm and leg healed. But my hearing never returned._

His eyes were glossy with unshed tears when he opened them and met mine. I didn't want to ask the question, but I knew I had to. **Your parents?**

_Died on impact._

I gasped, tears flooding my own eyes at the pain in his.

_My aunt and uncle adopted me. They got me the best treatment available, but nothing worked. And when the doctors determined my hearing loss was permanent, they hired someone to help me learn to sign and lip read. And even though I can lip read, they learned to sign right alongside me._

**I'm so sorry, Edward**, I signed, reaching out and grasping his hand.

He closed his eyes again briefly and breathed deeply. When he opened his eyes, he smiled at me, patted my hand, and simply signed, _Thank you, Bella_.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy Monday, and welcome to a new week. Love my girls iadorepugs and athomejo - they keep me on track. Lots of new notifications this weekend - please let me know how you found your way here.**

* _Italics _denotes Edward signing. **Bold **is when Bella signs.

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Chapter 11

When I exited the classroom after my midterm exam, I spotted a familiar shock of reddish brown hair in the hallway. I couldn't contain my excitement. I ran up and tapped Edward on the shoulder, then launched myself into his arms as soon as he turned and squeezed him in a tight hug.

Edward let out a startled grunt and paused for a moment, then wrapped his arms around me and returned my hug with laughter and enthusiasm.

I closed my eyes, relishing the feel of his arms around me and inhaling his warm scent. I reluctantly pulled away, feeling my all-too-familiar blush stain my cheeks as I realized what I had done. I held up my exam, the bright red "B" scrawled across the top.

Edward didn't seem to care; his eyes were bright with excitement and his grin contagious as he signed, _Congratulations, Bella. I knew you could do it! _

**It's all because of you. I never would have passed without you! **I had never been more thrilled about a grade in my entire life.

Edward seemed just as excited, his face happy and expressive. _You have worked so hard, I'm so proud! We need to celebrate! Come with me to the deaf meet-up tonight_, he signed.

**What's a deaf meet-up? **I asked.

_It's a social night for Deaf and hard-of-hearing. Think support group, only fun and entertaining._

**And you want me to go?**

_It's a good place to practice your conversational ASL, and learn a little more about Deaf culture. Do you know anyone besides me who is Deaf?_

I had been introduced to Victoria, and two of Edward's other students in passing, but that was it. All of the students in the ASL class were hearing, and so was the Professor. I shook my head, biting my lip. **Are you sure?**

His eyes flashed as they zeroed in on my bottom lip. It was a moment before he signed _Why not?_

**I wouldn't want to embarrass you**, I answered, knowing that even with all his help, my ASL skill level was still low compared to others.

_You'll do great. And I'll be with you the whole time. Do you want to ride with me?_

**You can drive?** I asked without thinking. I regretted it immediately.

The happy expression on Edward's face vanished, and he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He took a deep breath before he spoke, his voice curt. "Yes, Bella, the Deaf can drive. The Deaf go to school. The Deaf have normal jobs. The Deaf have relationships. We do pretty much everything else you hearing people can do. Deaf people are normal, Bella. **I **am normal. Please don't treat us like we're less, because we're not_."_

I felt terrible for making him feel less, when in reality he was so much more.

**You're wrong**. I signed. His nostrils flared in anger, and I held my hands up for him to wait while I continued. I spoke as I signed; this was way too important to mess up. "You're not normal. You are so much better than normal. You are not less. You are more, more than anyone I've ever met."

I could feel my cheeks burning again as I looked down at my feet, wondering if I had given too much away

I felt his fingertips brush my cheek before he lifted my chin. His green gaze was sad but determined, and he spoke as he signed as well. "I'm sorry, Bella, I overreacted. I get very defensive, but that's my issue, not yours. Please, say you'll come with me tonight?"

I felt relief rush over me. **I'd love to, Edward.**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Good morning lovely readers! ****Iadorepugs and athomejo are the absolute best - I love them! Let's get to it, shall we?**

* * *

Chapter 12

The room was crowded, and really noisy. The dominant sound was laughter, and I watched as several groups signed and gestured wildly to one another. The waitresses moved among the tables, signing with some individuals and speaking with others. I could tell that a couple of the people were hearing, like me, by the way they responded to the stimuli around them, but the majority of the people here appeared to be Deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Edward grabbed my hand to get my attention, and led me over to one of the tables. He was greeted enthusiastically by several people, sharing handshakes, high fives, and even a couple of quick hugs with people as they jockeyed around the table. I found myself sitting in the middle of a crowd, and quickly felt overwhelmed, not knowing where to look first.

I felt a hand on my knee, and I looked up to find Edward looking at me. _You okay_?

**Yes, just nervous**, I admitted.

_Don't worry, they won't bite_, he said with a grin.

"Speak for yourself, Cullen. It's about time we had some fresh blood around here," said a voice from across the table. A man about our age with spiky blond hair and hearing aids smiled at me. "Hey there, I'm Mike Newton. And you are?"

I looked over at Edward, who looked annoyed, and then back at Mike. I started to sign **Hi Bella me**.

"No, no, don't sign," said Mike, looking up from my hands – or was it my chest he was looking at? – to my lips. "I'm practicing my lip reading, so speak."

I glanced at Edward again, who still looked irritated but shrugged his shoulders. I decided to do both, since I was here to practice my ASL. "Nice to meet you, Mike. I'm Bella."

Mike was very enthusiastic as he peppered me with questions and told me about himself. He wasn't born deaf, but had lost most of his hearing when he was a toddler from scarlet fever. He asked me if I was in school and how old I was, questions I was confident about thanks to Edward's teaching and my ASL class.

His next question caught me off guard. "Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me and winking. Ewww.

"No, I'm too busy with school and teaching," I deflected, pushing aside wistful thoughts of the man to my right.

"So what are you doing here with Muteward?" Mike asked next, his tone as ugly as the word he used to describe Edward.

I gasped indignantly at the unprovoked insult and glanced quickly at Edward. He was deep in conversation with the man on his right and thankfully seemed to miss Mike's insulting inquiry.

I glared at Mike. "What kind of question is that?" I demanded.

"Whoa, calm down, Bella," Mike said, holding his hands up. "I didn't mean any offense."

"Bullshit," called a voice from my left, and I turned to see a tall brunette girl with glasses glaring at Mike. She was holding her right hand like the horns of a bull, crossed over her left arm, and wiggled the fingers of her left hand down by her elbow. I laughed despite the situation, the sign making perfect sense.

"Ignore him, Bella. He's just an asshole." I laughed again as she held her hand out in front of her, palm facing upward, with her index finger and thumb touching in a flat "ok" sign. Again, the sign was obvious.

Mike gave me a dirty look, flipped off the woman, and left the table to sit elsewhere.

**Thank you. I'm Bella.**

_Hi, I'm Angela. Any friend of Edward is a friend of ours. Welcome, _she signed with smile.

I returned her smile, instantly liking her. **Hey, can you teach me more signs like that?** I asked.

She laughed. _You mean Edward hasn't taught you the swears yet? I'm shocked, we're a foul-mouthed group._

I heard Edward laugh next to me, and saw he was watching our conversation. _She's taking academic ASL, Angela. I don't think she can use 'bullshit' in class._

Angela grinned. _She'll need to know that and more to hang out with this crowd_! She gestured to me. _C'mon, Edward, let's teach her the fun stuff._

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy hump day, y'all. Love my girls, iadorepugs and athomejo, and adore all of you who have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed!**

* * *

Chapter 13

Edward rolled his eyes, but they were full of humor as he turned back to me and spoke quietly as he signed. "She's probably right – you wanna hang with the Deaf, you gotta learn how to swear with the Deaf. Go ahead, Angela. But take it slow, she's still learning."

Angela laughed and raised her hand to me for a high five. _We'll start little. This means 'stupid'_ she signed, raising her right hand to her forehead in a palm-out, sideways "V" shape and tapping her forehead just above her eyebrow.

I copied the gesture with a grin, trying to figure out why it was so familiar. I suddenly remembered my very first conversation with Edward, and I turned to smack him on the arm.

**Hey, you called me stupid the first time we met! **I signed indignantly, remembering him making the sign Angela had just taught me.

Edward's cheeks pinked in an uncharacteristic blush. _Well, yeah, I guess I did. But you tried to talk to the Deaf guy_! he defended with a crooked grin that made his dimple pop.

**I didn't know you were Deaf! **

Angela laughed as she watched the two of us. _You should have brought her sooner, Edward. You guys are cute. How long have you been dating?_

Edward shook his head and laughed. _We're not dating. She's my student._

I smiled despite the pang caused by his quick refusal. Was it so impossible to think of me as someone he would date? **Just friends**, I agreed.

Angela rolled her eyes as she signed _Whatever!_

Angela spent the next 15 minutes teaching me swears, and by the time we were through, I could tell someone to fuck off, kiss my ass, and go to hell, while calling them on their bullshit and questioning their parentage. My sides ached from all the laughter. Before moving to another table, Angela asked for my number so that we could get together for coffee on our own. I had the feeling she was going to be a good friend.

After Angela departed, I sat back and watched several other conversations, picking up snippets here and there and just enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. Edward had struck up a discussion with a young girl across the table who had just been approved for cochlear implants. I missed a lot of the conversation with their shortcuts and glosses, but she seemed nervous about the procedure. By the time she, Edward, and another girl were done talking, she seemed more relaxed.

I thought I was doing a good job hiding my yawns as time passed, so I was surprised when Edward tapped my thigh, then tapped his watch. _You ready to head out?_

I nodded, grateful he was watching the time. We said our goodbyes to the room, and I was happy that several people invited me back, either with or without Edward.

The conversation regarding implants had made me curious. **Have you ever considered cochlear implants? **I asked him.

_Do you ever get tired of asking me personal questions_? he fired back. I could tell he was teasing me by the expression on his face.

**Nope! It's fun! **I signed with a grin.

_My auditory nerves were damaged in the accident. Cochlear implants are not an option for me._

**Oh, I'm sorry**, I replied. Even though he wasn't upset, I felt bad about bringing it up.

Edward reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing my fingers. "No need to apologize, Bella. It's okay to ask questions, how else will you learn? I've been Deaf long enough that I don't really remember what hearing was like, so I can't even say I miss it. But just because I can't hear doesn't mean I don't listen – a lot of hearing people can't say that. I guess I listen with my heart, instead of my ears."

He was right – he was a better listener than most people I knew. He just got me, and seemed to know intuitively how to comfort me even when I was the one that was being insensitive to him.

**Thank you, Edward. ****And thanks for inviting me. It was fun.**

_Thanks for joining us. It's always nice to have fresh_ _blood_, he teased.

I decided to show off my newly acquired swear skills. **Kiss my ass, Edward **I signed with a grin.

* * *

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	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Good morning, and welcome back! Thanks to iadorepugs and athomejo for all they do, and thanks to all who have read and reviewed!**

* * *

Chapter 14

Time flew, and next thing I knew we were only a week away from finals. My professor was pleased with my progress and I held onto a steady C+ in the class, but he warned me that my next semester was going to be tougher, especially since I was taking a blended 102/201 class.

I asked Edward if he knew my next professor, and when I told him the professor's name, he agreed that it was going to be tougher. _Dr. Varner is my academic advisor. He's a stickler for the rules, and he grades very tough. He was born Deaf, he has signed his whole life, and he expects everyone to sign like that, too._

**Oh shit, **I signed.

Edward laughed. _Angela's a bad influence on you. You won't be able to swear in Professor Varner's class. You also can't speak – he doesn't allow any of his 201 students to talk. You'll need to keep studying over the holiday break_.

My xenoglossophobia had been manageable this semester with Edward's help and guidance, but just hearing what Edward had to say made me start to panic anew. I needed to pass the next classes to graduate. **Maybe I can just stay with Professor Banner? **I wondered, feeling my hope rise.

Edward shook his head. _He doesn't teach 201 – only Deaf professors teach 201 and above._

**Damn it**, I signed with a heavy sigh, dropping my head down onto my desk and banging my forehead against my books.

I felt Edward's hand touch my hair, and he tugged gently on one of my curls. I looked up, and he was smiling at me.

_Bella, you didn't think you'd pass this semester, and you're doing way better than passing. You can do this. **WE **can do this, together. First things first – let's get you ready for your final._

One week, four marathon study sessions, and endless pots of coffee later, I stared at the "81.2%" scrawled across the top of my exam with disbelief and surprise. "Holy crow, I passed," I breathed in shock.

Edward was waiting outside my classroom again, pacing and running his fingers through his hair. He stopped abruptly when I exited the room, his eyes wide and questioning. He started to smile as soon as I did, and when I showed him the paper, he whooped loudly and swept me up in a hug.

His unexpected embrace made my heart race, and I hugged him back.

His voice caught me off guard – it had been a while since I had heard him speak. "I am so damn proud of you, Bella," he told me, pulling back and tapping the tip of my nose with his index finger. "I have taught so many students, and I've never known anyone who has worked as hard as you have."

I felt giddy with joy and relief. "I owe it all to you, Edward. And I have something for you," I told him, pulling a neatly wrapped present out of my backpack and handing it to him.

_What's this?_

**A present, duh, **I signed, raising my fingers to my forehead in the sign for stupid while winking at him.

He rolled his eyes, and tore into the package with enthusiasm. He laughed out loud when he pulled out the coffee cup with a picture of the grim reaper that read "Don't panic! I said 'I'm Deaf,' not 'DEATH'."

_This is awesome, thank you, he said with a grin. I got you a gift, too_, he signed, looking bashful as he pulled a colorful bag out of his backpack and handed it to me.

I reached down past the tissue paper and pulled out a tee shirt that read "Talk to the Hands (ASL Spoken Here)."

**I love it, thank you**, I told him, touched that he'd thought of me.

_Merry Christmas, Bella._

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	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy Friday, y'all! Iadorepugs and athomejo are the best - thanks to both of them for keeping me on the path :) **

* * *

Chapter 15

Winter break flew by, and I continued to study with Edward, maintaining what I had learned in the first semester, while working ahead in the curriculum to prepare me for my upcoming class. Before I knew it, we were back in the thick of my (hopefully!) last semester of college. My student teaching changed, and I was now at the same junior high school where I had been hired for the fall. Their music director was retiring in two years, and I had been hired to train with her for those two years, then take over.

That is, if I was able to graduate with my degree in the spring.

Edward hadn't been kidding – Dr. Varner was an extremely tough teacher. The school district let me leave early on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to make it to my 3:30 class. The class met for 90 minutes, after which I would meet with Edward at the tutoring center for an hour or more.

I was technically enrolled in 201, but also learning the basics from 102, which resulted in an accelerated pace and much more work for me. With Edward's help, I was maintaining a low C average - not exactly the best, but at least I was passing. We drilled, we drilled again, and we drilled some more. I was becoming pretty adept at basic sign, and retaining more and more glosses as the weeks passed.

What I was really worried about were the projects Dr. Varner assigned. Like Edward had told me, he was a stickler for every last detail, and the three projects combined counted for half of my grade. I couldn't afford to blow any of those assignments.

Our first project was reading a children's book to our class. Not signing the book as it was written, but actually translating it from English to ASL, while also reading it out loud.

**Isn't ****Goodnight Moon**** kind of simple?** I asked, a little offended when Edward suggested it.

He shook his head. _Goodnight Moon is actually a really good choice_, Edward told me. _It's not a hard translation, but the syntax is challenging enough that Varner will appreciate the effort. C'mon, let's do a run-through._

He was right, of course. I knew most of the vocabulary, but it was hard for me to stick with the proper syntax. I tended to use extra words, as though I was speaking, for which Dr. Varner always marked me down.

Edward suggested that I practice in front of a live group, which is how I ended up in front of a small crowd at the next Deaf meet up, a children's book in my hand, feeling like an idiot and blushing like a fool.

"Come on, Bella," Angela shouted, making the Swan sign with a flourish, the name gloss she had bestowed upon me the moment she learned my last name – although I always laughed because it was awfully close to the bullshit sign she'd taught me. "Get with it. Show us your skills with the kiddie book," she laughed.

I flipped her off, earning a round of "ooohs," from those who spoke.

I began reading and signing, doing my best to keep eye contact with the crowd. I had essentially memorized the book, but I still had a hard time simultaneously speaking the complete phrases from the book and signing the shortened ASL syntax. I suspected that was the reason Edward suggested I practice in front of a group in the first place.

When I finished, I looked out over the crowd. A couple of people had raised their hands in Deaf applause.

Angela looked critical. _That was... so boring, Bella_, she signed bluntly._ I know it's a bedtime story, but you are putting us to sleep._

**What do you mean? **I signed, a little stung by the criticism.

_You need to act it out, be animated_, she suggested. _You wouldn't read it like a textbook out loud to a kid, so you need to add some emotion to your signing, too._

A couple of the people in the audience nodded in agreement. I turned to Edward for his opinion

He looked thoughtful. He shrugged his shoulders, then nodded. _Your signing was technically correct, but Angela's got a point, it could use more expression. I've been so focused on the academic part, I didn't think about expression – I'm glad she did_.

Angela smiled and gave us the thumbs up, then pointed me back to my chair. "Again, Swan, with feeling!"

* * *

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	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Good morning, and welcome to a new week. I hope everyone had a great weekend - I know my team did! Congrats to iadorepugs on her new horse, and to athomejo on her new high school graduate!**

* * *

Chapter 16

After lots and lots of practice, including videotaping to study my sometimes cringe-worthy expressions and mistakes, I earned a very respectable 87% on my presentation of Goodnight Moon. Angela teased Edward that she was going to take over as my tutor when Dr. Varner praised me on the improvements I'd made to my syntax and expressions.

Of course, that made me all the more nervous for the next project. For the second one, I had to teach someone how to do something strictly in ASL - no speech at all. Dr. Varner suggested choosing something with which we were really familiar, but I was having a hard time thinking of something besides music.

Edward and I were brainstorming, and he was throwing out ideas. _Can you build anything?_

**Nope.**

_What about fixing something, changing a tire?_

I snorted - I was anything but mechanical. **Yeah, ****I don't think so.**

_Can you juggle?_

**Just my schedule, and not well. **

Edward rolled his eyes, but smiled.

**What would you teach, if it was your assignment? **I asked; maybe I could teach the same thing.

_How to solve a simple algebraic equation, like a squared plus b squared equals c squared_. He actually looked excited by the prospect.

Math, ugh. **Nerd**, I signed, and he flipped me off with a grin and a wink.

_Are you a good cook?_

I paused for a moment and considered that one. **Yeah, I do okay.**

_What's your specialty?_

**I make a mean lasagna.**

_Why is your lasagna angry?_

I laughed. I hadn't thought about a phrase like that not translating. **It's slang. Mean means good.**

_Okay, teach me how to make an angry lasagna._

And that was how we ended up at my apartment that Friday night, drinking wine, covered in tomato sauce, and laughing like loons.

**How did you get sauce in your hair?**

He shrugged his shoulders. _You forgot to tell me to put the lid on the blender._

I rolled my eyes. **You always put the lid on the blender before you press start.**

_When you're teaching, assume zero knowledge. Better to over-explain than bathe in marinara._

**But you look so good with sauce freckles, **I teased, wanting to reach out and stroke his face. The wine told me to go for it, but good sense prevailed. Instead, I leaned back against the couch cushions, groaning and rubbing my stomach. **I'm so full. I ate way too much**.

_Me too, but it was delicious. You were right, you do make an angry lasagna._

I laughed; I still found the incorrect slang funny. **Thank you for being my guinea pig**.

_Any time, especially if it means I get lasagna. You should probably cook it for me a dozen more times, so I know you're ready for your presentation_, he joked.

**No, you should cook it for me, so I know my directions were right**, I argued.

_Even with your excellent instruction, I don't think I could manage lasagna. But I could grill us up some burgers, next Friday? _he suggested, raising an eyebrow at me. The light flush on his cheeks could be chalked up to the wine we had been drinking, but I felt my heart flutter nevertheless.

**Sounds great, it's a date! **I signed, then blushed. Yeah, it was definitely the wine. But maybe it was the company.

His grin made me hope I wasn't the only one affected. **I mean, thank you, that sounds good.**

_Yes it does._

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**Thanks so much for reading - please leave me some feedback. See you tomorrow!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Welcome back, and happy Tuesday. I understand we may be craving lasagna (or at least a sauce-speckled Edward)? My little team of iadorepugs and athomejo are the best - I'm a lucky woman to have them on my side :) All mistakes are post-beta edits because I continue to tinker...**

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Chapter 17

My lasagna demonstration earned me another respectable B, with some extra credit thrown in because I had brought a finished lasagna to share with the class (and Dr. Varner had two helpings). A week later, I managed a C+ on the midterm exam, and was feeling pretty good about the semester as a whole.

However, an email from the music department as I was leaving my ASL reminded me that I had other degree obligations besides passing ASL.

Edward was waiting for me at our usual table in the tutoring center, and I felt terrible that he had come all the way across campus in the cold and rain when I wasn't going to be able to stay. **I'm sorry, I can't study today. I have to rehearse.**

Edward looked confused, but at least he didn't seem angry. _Rehearse what?_

**I have my jury in six weeks with the music faculty.**

_What's a jury?_

**A performance for the music faculty, for my final grade. I have to do this every year, I can't believe I forgot.**

_What kind of performance?_

**I have two, a piano solo, and a voice solo. I've been too busy with my ASL class and student teaching, and I really need to rehearse. I'm sorry.**

_No need to apologize. I'd enjoy a field trip._

**Field trip?**

_Yes, do you mind if I go with you?_

I'm sure I was looking at him like he was crazy. I didn't want to be insensitive, but I didn't know how else to say it without being blunt. **I'm practicing my piano solo today – I won't be able to sign and play at the same time. **

He laughed. _I know, Bella. I've got some studying of my own to do, but we can still hang out. And we can work on your ASL when you take a break._

I shrugged my shoulders. **If you won't be bored, you are welcome to come with me**. We walked toward the music buildings, keeping conversation to a minimum as we juggled our umbrellas and tried to stay warm.

I signed out a practice room for the next two hours and unpacked my bag, setting my music on the piano. I ran some scales and arpeggios as warmups while Edward pulled a thick math book and sheaf of notes from his backpack and settled at the small table.

I thanked him again for coming with me, secretly thrilled to be able to spend this time with him.

He smiled. _I don't think I told you, but my mother used to play the piano_, he signed_. _

**Do you remember any of what she used to play? **He had been so young when she passed away, I wasn't sure.

_Not much, but I remember that _Clair de Lune _was her favorite. _

What a strange coincidence. **I'm playing Debussy for my jury, starting with **_**Clair de Lune**_**.**

Edward's eyes were bright as he came to stand next to the piano. _May I?_ he asked, resting his palms on the top of the upright.

I nodded and began playing, tentatively at first, faltering over a couple of notes and pausing, his gaze unnerving me.

_Don't stop, _Edward signed, placing his palms back on the piano. He closed his eyes as I started to play again, and I forced myself to look away. It didn't take long before I was lost in the music. I realized as I played that each note had a distinct vibration, and I pushed myself to really play the dynamics, from pianissimo to fortissimo, feeling out each note and phrase.

When I played the final chord of _Clair de Lune_, I looked up at Edward. The smile on his face was mesmerizing, and I could hardly look away.

_Thank you, Bella. That was beautiful_, he signed, reaching over and squeezing my fingers. His hand lingered, and I felt my fingers tremble in his. He squeezed them again before slowly releasing them and taking his seat, opening his math book to study.

The happy grin on his face made me giddy. He looked up to find me watching him, and we both blushed. _Get to work!_

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**Thanks so much for reading - please leave me your thoughts! See you tomorrow!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy hump day all! Iadorepugs and athomejo are the best! **

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Chapter 18

Rehearsals were going well for my senior juries, but I still didn't know what I was going to do for my final project in ASL, and I only had a month to get ready. I was spending part of my planning period at the junior high school on the computer, trying to come up with ideas, when I heard a knock on the door.

The junior high principal smiled at me. "Sorry to interrupt your free period, Miss Swan, but there are some people here I'd like you to meet."

Well that was unusual; not too often the student teacher had visitors. "It's no bother at all, Principal Green. How may I assist?"

"Miss Swan, I'd like you to meet Emily and Sam Uley, and their daughter Leah. They've just moved to town and are here to sign Leah up for school. Mr. and Mrs. Uley, this is Bella Swan, one of our teachers."

"Good morning, it's a pleasure to meet you," I greeted, shaking both mom's and dad's hands. I turned to their daughter and offered my hand. "Hi, Leah, I'm Miss Swan."

The girl smiled shyly at me as she shook my hand, and then looked at her mother, who signed my name to her daughter.

I grinned; now I knew why they were visiting my classroom. I reached out and gently tapped Leah's forearm, waiting until she looked back to me. **Hi, I'm Miss Swan. Welcome to our school. What's your name?**

Her eyes widened in surprise. _You know sign?_ she asked, and I nodded. Her fingers moved in a sudden flurry, and I laughed, trying to follow along.

**Slow, please. I'm still learning. What's your name?**

She slowed her fingers and spelled out her name.

**Hi Leah. What grade are you in?**

_Sixth,_ she answered. _What do you teach?_

**I teach music here**.

Her smile fell and her eyes grew sad. _I can't hear music_, she signed.

**Come with me?** I motioned for them to all follow, crossing the empty band room and taking my seat at the piano. I took Leah's hand and placed it on top of the piano like Edward had done, and I played a couple of notes, watching the surprise on her face as the different vibrations registered.

I had an idea; I didn't know if it would work, but I was going to give it a try. I started to play and sing the song You Are My Sunshine, and when I completed a line on the piano, I signed it to her, and she signed it back to me. We did this until the song was done, and I looked over to see tears in her mother's eyes.

_Mom, Dad, I was singing!_ Leah signed with a giddy smile.

"You sure were, Lee-lee," her father said gruffly, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Do you have other Deaf students, Miss Swan?"

I shook my head, speaking and signing Leah's benefit. "No, I take ASL at the university. A friend of mine was able to listen to one of my piano solos that way, so I thought Leah could do the same."

"I love the idea of her being able to participate in music," Mrs. Uley said. "She is so tired of being in art classes."

_I suck at art - I can't draw to save my life, _Leah signed, and we laughed.

Principal Green smiled. "I'm sure that Miss Swan has some other ideas to incorporate sign and other learning tools to allow Leah to participate."

I gulped nervously, but felt excited by the prospect as well. "Well, I have a lot of friends I can bounce ideas off, and I'm sure we can come up with some plans."

"Excellent!" Ms. Green said. "We will let you get back to your planning, and on with our school tour. Thank you for your time, Bella."

"It was a pleasure to meet you all," I said, shaking Sam's and Emily's hands. I turned to Leah. **I'll see you in class.**

_Bye, Miss Swan!_

I suddenly knew what I was going to do for my ASL project, and I fired off a quick text to Angela. "SOS – I need your help, but don't tell Edward!"

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**I received a bunch of notifications overnight for follows and favorites - please let me know how you found my little story. If someone out there sent you here, I'd love to thank them!**

**Thanks so much for reading - please leave me some feedback.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Iadorepugs and athomejo are the bees' knees, as are my readers - you all rock! Special thanks to rita01tx, tammy turbide, and karen peters, who all shared some LWYH love online and sent many readers this way. To those who fear WIPs, rest assured that this is entirely written and posts every week day.**

**I don't like to update before I've answered reviews, but today is going to be a crazy day, so you're getting the new chapter now LOL. Happy Thursday, and happy high school graduation day to my boy/man-child. I have to admit, there were times I wasn't entirely sure we'd make it through to the end LOL.**

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Chapter 19

I peeked through the side stage curtain as people started to fill the auditorium. I spotted Edward and Angela in the second row, signing back and forth to one another. I couldn't tell what they were saying at this distance, but was glad they seemed excited to be here.

I caught movement to Edward's left, and watched the surprise on his face as Professor Varner joined them, signing to them after he was seated. At the same time, one row back, I saw my mom and dad take their seats. I took my place backstage as the Dean stepped up to the microphone.

The first two students performed – a violin solo and a cello solo. I took the stage for my piano performance, pleased by my lack of nerves. I knew I had done well when I saw the piano and orchestra instructors smiling and nodding as I took my bow.

Three more performances – one piano, one oboe, and one voice, and I was up again, the final performance for the evening. But this time, butterflies filled my stomach as I stepped onto the stage. I could actually see my hands shake.

As my eyes grew accustomed to the lighting, I could almost feel the music faculty watching me, but I could admit that those were not the eyes with which I was concerned – it was those sets of eyes in the second and third rows.

Oh, who the hell was I kidding? It was really only one set, a deep green gaze that I could feel even now, that mattered. If I closed my eyes, I could picture his smile, and I did just that as the music began.

I had been fascinated with the musical _Hamilton _from the first time I heard the soundtrack. Brash and trendsetting, with two amazing female alto leads – the music spoke volumes to me. And I knew from the first time I heard Eliza sing _Burn_, I would perform it for my senior jury.

But these last two semesters, and the people I had met as a result, had had a profound impact on me. Edward thought he was just coming to support me – he had no idea what I was about to do. Angela did, and I saw her give me the thumbs up as I began to sing and sign, my senior jury and my ASL 201 final project all wrapped into one.

Eliza's words started out meek, confused and hurt at Hamilton's betrayal. But as the music built, so did her anger and determination. The music swelled, and with it my heart soared. I poured all my passion into the lyrics, both those I sang and those I signed. I nearly wept at Eliza's pain, doing my best to convey it with my voice, movements, and expressions.

As the final chords faded, the applause startled me; I had honestly forgotten where I was. I looked out to the crowd to find Professor Varner and Angela applauding. My eyes sought Edward, and when our gazes met, he stood and began to applaud as well. My parents followed suit, and soon others in the crowd were standing. I could feel my tears fall as I smiled and waved.

I waited impatiently backstage while the faculty completed their notes and passed them to the dean of the department. One by one, he called out our names, handing us envelopes that contained the comments of the jurists.

When he called my name, I accepted both envelopes. I grinned when I saw the score sheets clipped to the outside, both with large "A"s scrawled across the top.

Dean Caius smiled. "Ms. Swan, thank you for sharing your gifts with us these past four years. I have enjoyed tremendously each of your performances, but I will tell you that your vocal solo tonight is my favorite to date. I was impressed that you incorporated sign language, and how well it flowed with your song. I hold you in high esteem and have great hope for you as an educator; your students will be very lucky."

"Thank you, Dean Caius," I replied, and he laughed.

"Do you even realize you're signing as you speak?" he asked. "And when I speak? I'm guessing you're translating my words, too?"

I blushed. "No, but I'm not surprised – I have some very strict teachers who insist on sign only."

"Well it's obviously worked. Now go, I see some very anxious faces in the crowd waiting for you."

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**Thanks so much for reading - please leave me some feedback. See you tomorrow!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: I'm grateful to have iadorepugs and athomejo in my life! And thanks for all the well wishes for the graduating child - we made it through, without rain or tears! **

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Chapter 20

The lobby was a madhouse. I spotted Edward, Angela, and Dr. Varner first, so I headed in their direction.

Angela grabbed me in a tight hug, then pulled back to sign. _Bella, __that was awesome!_ _You brought the house down, girl!_

I laughed. **Thanks.** I turned to Edward. It had been so very difficult to keep my final project from him. As my tutor, he was first worried and then frustrated that I wouldn't share any of the details of my project, only that Angela and I were handling it. As my friend, he had definitely seemed hurt that I wouldn't tell him what I had planned, simply asking him to trust me. I was still worried that he would be upset with me, and bit my lip nervously, waiting for his reaction.

His eyes zeroed in on my lip, and I could swear I heard him groan quietly. He hugged me briefly, then thrust a bouquet of flowers into my hands. _That was amazing. __You are amazing,_ he signed, touching my cheek and smiling at me in a way that made my butterflies return with a vengeance.

I blushed and looked down at the beautiful bouquet of lavender roses and deep purple tulips. **Thank you, Edward,** I signed with one hand, trying to juggle the envelopes and flowers. Angela offered to take them both from me as I turned to greet Dr. Varner.

**Thank you for coming this evening, Dr. Varner. I hope you enjoyed the concert**.

Dr. Varner bestowed a rare smile on me. _Thank you for inviting me, Ms. Swan. _He started to sign more, but we were interrupted by my parents, who swooped in with hugs and another bouquet of flowers.

I waved to gain everyone's attention, then signed and spoke. "Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my ASL instructor, Dr. Varner, and my friends, Angela and Edward. These are my parents, Renee and Charlie Swan."

Once the introductions were made, Angela signed and spoke for my parents' benefit. "So, what did the music faculty have to say? Did you pass?"

I smiled in relief. "I passed with flying colors. Now, I just need to know about my ASL final project," I replied, looking to Dr. Varner for his input.

He gave me a stern look, and I gulped in nervousness. Then his face morphed into another smile, as he spoke aloud for the benefit of my parents. "A, Ms. Swan. Not only was it accurate, but it was beautiful, lyrical, and dramatic."

I could feel my jaw actually drop, and my crowd laughed. **Did I really pass? **I asked, unable to believe it.

"What was the phrase you used? 'With flying colors,' Ms. Swan," Dr. Varner spoke and signed. "It has been my pleasure to have you in my class. Please stop by my office next week - I would like to speak with you about continuing your ASL education, so that you can help me with the Deaf theater group, if you're interested."

**I'd love to! **I signed excitedly.

Dr. Varner thanked me again for inviting him, then excused himself so I could have time with my parents and friends.

Edward, Angela, and my dad had struck up a conversation, and my mom slipped her arm around my waist, giving me a gentle hug. "I'm so proud of you, Bella. That was an amazing performance."

"Thanks, Mom. But I never could have done it without Edward and Angela."

"Yes, you could, but I'm sure glad you have them in your corner." My mom tipped her head in their direction. "Bella, you didn't tell me that Edward is so hot!" she said, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I heard Angela laugh, and when I looked over at them, I could see Edward blushing as he grinned at the ground. "Hey Mom, I've told you that Edward and Angela can lip read, right?"

"Whoops," my mom said, her own cheeks rosy. She coughed out an embarrassed laugh. "Oh well, he is, you know," she said matter-of-factly, and we all laughed.

"Let's go celebrate!" Angela said excitedly.

"I'm afraid we have to pass. We're tired from the drive and are going to head to the hotel. But you guys go have fun tonight – we'll see you for brunch tomorrow, all of you," my dad invited.

I hugged them both. "Thanks for being here, I love you guys."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world, Bells. Have a good time tonight."

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**Thanks so much for reading - please leave me your thoughts. See you on Monday!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Iadorepugs and athomejo are the reason we're here today - I would never have published without their support and assistance.**

**Updating without answering reviews again due to another busy day, but I hope you'll understand why when you read on :) Happy Monday, and happy final week of Listen With Your Heart (yep, only five more chapters...)**

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Chapter 21

We ended up at the same restaurant where the Deaf meetup was always held. There were a surprising number of our friends here, and Angela confessed she had invited them all to celebrate my jury tonight. I was shocked to learn that several of them had been at my performance – I had been so nervous that I hadn't even noticed them in the auditorium.

We sat in the middle of the crowd, visiting with several different people. I smiled when I saw Ben Cheney take the seat next to Angela and strike up a conversation. She had been interested in him for weeks, and I was pretty sure he liked her as well. It was good to see him step up and make a move. He made an effort to include me in the conversation, but I tried not to eavesdrop to allow him and Angela to talk.

Edward was sitting close enough to me that our thighs were pressed against one another, and his arm kept brushing mine as he and Victoria spoke. Even though there seemed to be enough room to spread out, I certainly wasn't going to complain. I was trying not to think about the end of the semester and school year, when I wouldn't have the excuse of ASL to spend time with Edward, wondering if our time together like this was coming to an end.

After Ben had excused himself to use the restroom, Angela's sigh caught my attention. Looked I wasn't the only one with a lot on her mind tonight.

**What's wrong?**

_Have you ever been in love, Bella?_ she asked me. I noticed how her eyes followed Ben with a look of longing.

**Yes**, I replied, and it took all my will not to look at Edward when I said it.

_Does he love you, too?_ Angela asked.

I frowned. There were times I thought maybe Edward had feelings for me; times where I would find him looking at me, or times when we touched that he seemed slow to pull back. Tonight even, hugging me and touching my face, and remaining close to my side. But he was an affectionate guy – I had seen him hug Angela, or pat Victoria's hand. **I don't know**, I signed. **I doubt it. **

_What's not to love?_ Angela teased, and I forced a smile. _I bet he loves to hear you sing._

**No, he's never heard me sing. He's never heard me play piano. He's never even heard my voice.**

I was startled by the feel of Edward's warm hand covering mine. I looked up, and the look in his eyes made my heart race. He smiled shyly and spoke, "Bella, I don't need to hear your voice to know that I love you, too."

"What?" I said, stunned. I hadn't realized he'd been listening to our conversation. My fingers formed the gloss, but my hands were shaking so badly I wasn't sure he'd be able to tell what I was signing.

He cupped my face with both hands and caressed my cheek. "I love you, Bella," he said softly.

"I love you too, Edward," I said, feeling a tear escape the corner of my eye and track down my cheek. Edward wiped it away with his thumb, then leaned down and very gently pressed his lips to mine.

His lips were warm and soft as they moved against mine. I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck as he tilted his head and deepened our kiss, his tongue lightly tracing my bottom lip before delving within at my invitation.

It could have been seconds, minutes, or even hours – all I knew was I was finally in his arms, and I wasn't about to let him go.

"God, it's about time! Get a room!" Angela shouted, and I realized others were catcalling and whistling. I could feel my cheeks burn as I pulled away and buried my face in Edward's shoulder.

I felt his arms move and I laughed when I looked up and he was flipping off the room. "Want to get out of here?" he asked, and I nodded quickly.

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**Say it with me - FINALLY! Please let me know your thoughts.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: I *heart* iadorepugs and athomejo - they rock! And thanks to all of you who have put this story on alert, favorited, or reviewed - I really appreciate it!**

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Chapter 22

We left my car behind at the restaurant, and Edward drove us back to my apartment. He held my hand the entire way, his fingers caressing my palm and tracing my fingers. Twice, he lifted our entwined hands and pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist. I was a trembling mess by the time we arrived.

_May I come in_? he asked.

**Of course, please**, I invited. I fumbled with the keys at the door, my hands shaking. He took the keys from me and opened the door, his hand at the small of my back as we walked inside

I shed my coat, tossing it over the back of a chair, and invited him to do the same. He stood looking at me, running his hands through his hair. I smiled at the outward sign that he was just as nervous as I.

**Edward?**

_Yes, Bella?_

**Will you please hold me?**

_With pleasure,_ he signed, immediately wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. I sighed, sliding my arms over his shoulders and around his neck, toying with the soft hair at the nape of his neck and laying my head against his shoulder.

We stood that way for a while, and I enjoyed the bliss of simply being in his arms, no secrets or barriers between us. Edward reached up and cupped the back of my head with his hand, urging me to look up at him. His eyes were fixated on my lips, and when I nodded in wordless permission, he swooped in for a sweet, heated kiss.

"I love you, Bella," he said, tracing my cheekbone with his fingertips and gazing into my eyes.

"I love you too, Edward," I said, feeling tears spill over onto my cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm so happy."

"You're so weird," he said, and we both laughed. He leaned down again, and his kiss was more passionate this time, our tongues dancing and caressing as he pulled me closer. He held me tightly against him, and I lost the ability to form coherent thought as our kiss consumed me.

We were both breathing heavy by the time he broke away, and I knew that my smile was naughty as I felt his thick erection pressed against my hip. I could actually feel the warmth of his blush and, rather than hold me closer like I wanted him to, he pulled back.

I was having none of it, and I grasped his belt loops, pulling him back to me. "Bella," he groaned, his voice raspy with desire, but he didn't pull away again.

I reached up and caressed his face, and he looked down at me, his gaze hot with desire that made me shiver with want. As much as I wanted to continue with what we had started, I knew we needed to cool things down a bit. I tilted my head towards the couch and raised my eyebrows at him, and he nodded.

We sat down side by side, and I turned to face him. **How long? **I asked simply.

He smiled bashfully. _I've been enchanted by you since our first meeting._

Wow, him too? I'd never even suspected. **Why didn't you say something sooner? **I asked, feeling a little sad about all the time we could have had together.

_Two reasons. First, I was worried about our tutor relationship. If you didn't return my feelings, I didn't want to make things awkward for you, or have you feel like you needed to request another tutor. And second, I just wasn't sure how you felt. I tried to give you some signs about how I felt, but I wasn't positive how **you** felt about **me**, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship. I would rather have you in my life as my friend than not have you in my life at all._

I nodded as he pretty much echoed my own sentiments. **Then we were in the same boat. Although there were times I though I was too obvious, that you surely must have known how I felt about you.**

_How long have you known? _he asked me, his smile sweet.

**Always**, I admitted. **From the moment you called me stupid, even when I didn't know that you did.**

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**Thanks so much for reading - please leave me your thoughts. Only three more chapters... see you tomorrow!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Updating without answering reviews - another crazy day ahead. My love goes out to iadorepugs and athomejo - they are everything! See more substantial note at the bottom.**

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Chapter 23

Edward's chuckle was a beautiful sound and he rolled his eyes. _You're never going to let me live that down, are you?_

**Nope, never.**

This time I was the one that leaned forward and initiated our kiss, the both of us smiling.

It wasn't long before I found myself lying beneath him on the couch. We were both still fully clothed, but my dress was starting to rise up, his hips cradled between my thighs while his hands skimmed the sides of my breasts as one passionate kiss became another, and another, and another.

"Bella, we need to stop," he breathed, although the way he kissed me, touched me, and moved against me belied his words.

"No," I whined, shaking my head vehemently. "I don't want to." I pulled him down for another slow, sweet kiss, nipping at his bottom lip and smiling when he swore.

"Bella, please," he begged, pulling back and looking into my eyes. I pouted, but allowed him to pull away. I sat up beside him, fussing with my dress and smoothing my hair to cover my embarrassment at being so pushy.

**Why do you want to stop?**

Edward rubbed his hands over his face. _Sweetheart, believe me, I don't want to. But I have to meet your father in the morning, and I don't want to have a guilty conscience about sexing up his daughter the night before._

My heart fluttered when he called me sweetheart, while other parts of me tingled at the idea of being sexed up by Edward. **You already met him tonight**, I argued.

_Not as your boyfriend._

Boyfriend. I really liked the sound of that, especially when referring to the man before me. He looked spectacular, with a shy grin on his face, his hair wild from my fingers running through it, and his lips red and swollen from our kisses.

_Besides, we're kind of doing things out of order, aren't we?_

**What do you mean?**

_I haven't even taken you on a date yet._

**We've gone out plenty of times**, I reminded him.

_Not officially, as a couple. Maybe I'd like to take my girlfriend out. _Suddenly he looked very unsure of himself. _Unless you aren't, or don't want to be..._

I laid my hands over his to stop his rambling. I waited until he was looking up at me. "Of course I want to go on a date with my amazing boyfriend," I told him, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"I love you," he breathed, twirling a strand of my hair before tucking it behind my ear.

"I love you, too."

"I wish I could hear you say that," he said, his voice gruff and his gaze wistful. It was the first time I had ever heard him wish to hear something.

"You don't need to hear the words to feel them, or to know that I love you," I promised, sliding my arms around his neck and pulling him to me for another sweet kiss.

Edward groaned, his lips lingering on mine. "Bella, I really should go, before I do something I won't regret and stay."

"You mean something you would regret?" I asked. It didn't happen very often, but sometimes he did mess up when he spoke, like with angry lasagna.

_No, I would never regret staying with you_, he signed sweetly, making my heart ache in such a good way. He stood up and reached for my hand.

I walked him to the door, where he kissed me once more, his reluctance to leave mirrored in my own gaze. _I'll pick you up at 8? _

**Perfect**.

_Yes you are, Bella._

I snorted and shook my head. **Definitely not.**

_Perfect for me, then_, he signed, before leaning in for one last, lingering kiss that left me breathless and aching.

I watched as he drove away, dazed, dazzled, and completely in love.

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**I originally started writing this story as a one-shot for the P.S. I Love You contest, but I blew the deadline by about two years (not to mention the format in which they shared their story wouldn't have translated well into a one-shot). This was supposed to be the end, after the I love yous, but they kept whispering in my ear, so there are two short epilogues to follow. **

**Please let me know your thoughts - see you tomorrow!**


	24. Epilogue 1

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy Thursday! I'm a lucky girl to have iadorepugs and athomejo on my side - they are amazing! As are all of you - thanks to you all for your kind words and support.**

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Epilogue 1

The auditorium was packed as I took my place among the graduates. I studied the throng of people, looking for familiar faces. Three rows back on the left I spotted Victoria, her long red hair flowing from her graduation cap making her easy to spot in the crowd. She caught my eye and waved, and I smiled and waved back.

Another row behind and to the right was Tyler Crowley. I couldn't help but scowl – that man irritated me to no end. I was happy he was graduating and wouldn't be around campus any more. I had heard he was relocating to Arizona to teach at some private school. Good riddance.

I spotted other students with whom I had shared classes, nodding and waving in response to those who spotted me.

Finally, I spotted the object of my search as she stood talking and laughing with a classmate behind her. Almost as though she felt my gaze on her, Bella turned and looked over her shoulder, and our eyes met.

From the moment I had laid eyes on Bella Swan all those months ago in the tutoring center, her bright smile and beautiful eyes had piqued my interest. It was no different now; she could still captivate me from half an auditorium away. She smiled, raising her hand to me and signing **I love you, Edward**.

I couldn't stop my grin in response as I returned the sign to her. _I love you, too, Bella._

These two weeks between her jury and graduation had been a whirlwind, but completely amazing; far beyond any expectations I could have possibly had. I thought I'd had some idea of the kind of person Bella was from our months of studying together—she was a good student, a loyal friend, and an excellent teacher. But as a girlfriend, Bella was so much more. She was my everything.

I remembered the morning after her jury, picking her up to meet her parents for brunch. I had barely slept the night before, and I was a mess by the time I arrived at her apartment. I had laid in my bed, alternately reliving the moments with Bella in my arms (and on my lap, and beneath me on the couch), and worrying about her parents' reaction when I met them again, this time as her boyfriend.

Our ride to the restaurant was quick. We were the first ones there, and as we waited for her parents and Angela, I felt my anxiety grow. My knee bounced nervously, and I ran my fingers through my hair until Bella reached up and grasped my hand, pulling it down to rest on my thigh.

**What's wrong? **she asked.

_I'm nervous. _

**Why?**

_What if your parents don't like me?_

**They liked you just fine last night.**

_But last night I wasn't your boyfriend._

**My boyfriend. I love that,** she signed with a smile, leaning closer and raising her face to mine. I just had to kiss her.

I was just starting to get into the kiss when Bella suddenly jumped away. I looked up to find Mr. and Mrs. Swan in front of us. Mrs. Swan looked happy to see us, her smile just like Bella's. Mr. Swan looked less thrilled. Actually, he kinda looked like he wanted to drag me out back and beat the crap out of me.

Angela's arrival was a welcome distraction, and the hostess sat us at table near the windows. Bella was on my right, Angela to my left, and Mr. and Mrs. Swan were directly across the table. Mr. Swan's steady gaze unnerved me.

Bella and her parents talked as we looked at the menu. Bella's hands moved constantly as she did her best to translate the conversation for my benefit. I was able to catch most of it through sign and lip reading, although Mr. Swan's bushy moustache sometimes made it hard to see his lips move. Bella's mom started off exaggerating her words, much as Bella had done the first time we met, and I assumed she was doing it for my benefit. Bella corrected her mother, who just shrugged her shoulders and laughed, before going back to speaking normally.

We placed our brunch orders, and Mr. Swan gestured to get my attention. "So how long have you two been dating? And why didn't you say anything last night?" The look on his face was intimidating.

Bella didn't seem bothered in the least. "Well, Daddy, that's because we have only been dating since shortly _after_ we saw you guys last night."

"Only last night? It's about time, you've been crushing on him forever," Renee said, and I turned to look at Bella with a smirk, laughing as she blushed.

"Thanks, Mom," she replied, shaking her head.

"Well Edward felt the same. We all knew it the first time he brought her to deaf meet up," Angela threw in.

"And how do you think you knew?" I challenged her. I had been pretty careful not to let my feelings for Bella show.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Puh-leeze, you couldn't have been more obvious. The name sign you gave her was her name drawn over your heart, Edward."

Now I was the one blushing as both Bella and her mother turned to look at me.

**I didn't know that, Edward**, Bella signed, shyly smiling at me. I had to resist the urge to lean over and kiss her right there.

_I didn't realize that Angela did,_ I responded, pretending to glare at Angela, who simply laughed again.

"Like I said, everyone knew. Well, everyone except Bella," Angela replied.

_You're not the only one who knows things. Does Ben Cheney know what Bella and I know, about how you feel about him? _I teased.

Angela's eyes widened in surprise. _Don't you even think about it, Edward! _Then she grinned smugly. _Besides, he'll figure it out pretty quickly himself, when we have dinner tonight._

Despite my nerves, brunch with the Swans was an enjoyable experience. Mrs. Swan – Renee, as she asked me to call her – kept asking me to show her different signs. She was almost as bad at repeating them as Bella had been in the beginning. Angela tried to teach her bullshit instead of Swan, but Bella made sure to show Renee the difference, so that Renee didn't inadvertently teach her preschool Sunday School students any swears.

Mr. Swan did not invite me to call him by his first name. He asked several questions about my future plans. I told them I had been hired as a math teacher in the same school district as Bella, at the high school where she had done her student teaching first semester. I also told them I had been accepted into the Masters program for mathematics education and would start my classes in the fall.

When we parted ways, Renee gave me a hug and told me to take care of her little girl. Charlie shook my hand firmly and mouthed "or else" to me, and I nodded. Bella rolled her eyes and laughed at her dad, telling him she would see them at graduation in a couple of weeks.

We had almost two solid weeks to study for finals – me for the two classes I had taken this semester, and Bella for her comprehensive 102/201 ASL final. Once she had worked past her fears and insecurities, she had taken to ASL like a natural, and she emerged triumphant from her final with an 89%. We celebrated that evening with a pan of Bella's angry lasagna (I purposely used the wrong word, because I loved the way it made her giggle), a bottle of wine that I had brought, and a hot and heavy make-out session on her couch that left both of us panting and wanting more.

We had reluctantly agreed to wait to make love until after all the stress of finals and graduation, and the official end of our tutor/student relationship. In fact, we were leaving tomorrow morning for a trip to the coast, to a little bed and breakfast that my aunt had recommended. I couldn't wait to spend some uninterrupted alone time with my girlfriend.

The lights in the auditorium flashed, and I turned toward the stage with the rest of the graduates. The first speaker took the stage, and I smiled when I saw Dr. Varner standing to the left of the podium, signing the presentation to the audience. In addition, there was closed-captioning on the video feed. Dr. Varner had been pressuring the administration to be more inclusive of Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and faculty, and I was pleased to see they were providing accommodation.

I watched with pride as Bella crossed the stage, grinning when she signed **thank you** to the Dean of Students after she accepted her diploma. She stopped to give Dr. Varner a hug, waved in the direction of her family, and then turned to flash a smile at me.

A short while later, I accepted my diploma from the Dean of Students, and a hearty handshake from Dr. Varner. The rest of the ceremony dragged, or it could have been that I was just too anxious to be with Bella.

It took a few minutes to find one another in the post-graduation madness, but soon I had Bella tucked under my arm as we searched the crowd for our families. This time, she was the nervous one as I introduced her to my Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle. My aunt immediately engulfed her in a huge hug, crying happy tears as she told Bella she was thrilled to meet her. My uncle waited patiently for his turn, then did the same, but without the tears.

We enjoyed a celebration dinner that evening with Bella's parents and my aunt and uncle. Carlisle and Bella's father hit it off right away. By the end of the evening, Mr. Swan even asked me to call him Charlie, although he scowled when Esme and Renee let it slip that Bella and I were going out of town together in the morning.

I watched Bella talk and laugh with our families, and I smiled when she signed even as she spoke. This beautiful, brilliant girl of mine was well on her way to becoming fluent in ASL. It was hard to fathom that, but for the wrong advice given to her by her academic advisor and her foreign language failures, we might not have met. Someday, I was going to track down Lauren Mallory and thank her for the incompetence that had brought Bella and I together.

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**The first little glimpse. Tomorrow we have a bigger time jump - and the very last chapter. I'm already getting a little teary-eyed thinking about it... Please leave me your thoughts!**


	25. Epilogue 2

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by the Marvelous Ms. Meyers - no copyright infringement is intended. Please don't send your lawyers after me!**

**Author's note: Happy Friday, and welcome to the final installment of Listen With Your Heart. Longer author's note below.**

***blushes* Up to this point, the "M" rating was for the swears. So if you don't like lemons, please skip to the bottom.**

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Epilogue 2

_Five Years Later_

It had been a long evening in a series of long evenings. Weeks of rehearsals had finally culminated in two amazing nights of student performances, and our second annual junior high/high school performance showcase was now in the books.

The showcase was a labor of love, something the high school music and drama teachers and I had developed over the last several years. It featured instrumental and vocal solos and groups, dance, and dramatic recitations. The art students worked on scenery and costumes, the woodshop students on set design, and any student who wanted to perform was given a spot on the program.

This year we'd had it all - from Shakespeare to rap, poetry reading, tap dancing and ballet, even a rock band featuring several seniors from the high school. My favorite performance by far had felt like a throwback to my college jury - a group of students performed "Ten Duel Commandments" from Hamilton, both singing and signing. Leah Uley, now a junior, had performed the part of Hamilton and had received a standing ovation.

As proud as I was of what we had accomplished, now that it was done, I was desperately looking forward to having my life back.

I packed away the last of my sheet music and props, then turned to watch Edward stacking chairs onto the rolling carts to take back to the choir room. With a production of this magnitude, the showcase wouldn't have been possible without our volunteers, and Edward was always the first one to arrive and the last to leave. Angela and Ben had cleared out about 20 minutes ago, so Edward and I were the only ones left.

As though he could sense my gaze, he looked up and smiled at me, that crooked smile that still made my heart flutter. He finished stacking the final chair, then crossed the stage to where I stood. _Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Cullen? _

**Yes please, Mr. Cullen,** I replied, biting my lower lip and looking up at him through my lowered lashes, knowing exactly what that would do to him.

The heated look in Edward's eyes made me shiver in anticipation. He could say more with a glance than most people could with an entire speech. And those eyes were letting me know exactly what I had in store for me when we got home.

_Are you trying to start something, Mrs. Cullen? _

**Yes please, Mr. Cullen**, I teased, and he groaned as he reached for me, claiming my lips in a passionate kiss.

I giggled when Edward slid his hands down to grab my ass, pulling me tight against his burgeoning erection. Five years into our relationship, and three into our marriage, we were just as insatiable as we had been in the beginning. So much so that there had been a no-kissing-on-set rule; not because of the horny high schoolers, but because Mr. and Mrs. Cullen just couldn't keep their hands off one another.

_Let's go,_ he signed impatiently, and I grabbed my bag, shutting off the lights as we stumbled towards the back door, stopping several times to kiss and grope one another in the dark along the way.

He broke the speed limit driving us home, one hand on the wheel and the other drawing slow patterns on my knee, his fingertips sliding higher up my bare thigh beneath my skirt the closer we got to home.

We practically ran for the front door. No sooner had I kicked off my shoes and closed the door behind me, Edward had me pressed up against it, his lips on my neck and his hands undoing the buttons of the silk blouse that covered my breasts. I groaned as he teased my nipples to stiff peaks, his lips venturing down to nip at them through the lace of my bra.

The last five years had given us ample opportunity to perfect the beauty of our lovemaking. Edward steered me toward the living room, both of us too anxious to take the time to climb the stairs to our bedroom. He removed my blouse as I tugged on the bottom of his shirt, untucking it from his khakis and gently scraping my nails along his abdomen. We had to break the kiss as he eagerly jerked his shirt over his head and I unhooked my bra, both of us gasping when we finally came skin to skin.

His mouth found mine again as I fumbled with his belt and the button of his khakis. He tugged at my skirt, sending the pretty floral print pooling around my ankles. His long fingers slid my panties down and immediately found the wetness between my legs as I palmed his arousal through his boxer briefs, squeezing gently.

He eagerly shoved his pants and boxers down, stepping clear of the fabric in a single move. I laughed as I nearly tripped over my own panties in my enthusiasm, wondering how he could be so graceful and I could be so clumsy.

Edward sat on the couch, pulling me down so that I straddled his lap, his erection thick and ready between us. His mouth was on my breasts, nipping and sucking, and I laced my fingers into his hair, holding him tighter to me as I writhed against him.

His fingers found my center once again, my wetness coating his fingers as he pumped two of them inside me. At the same time, his thumb circled my clit, making me crazy with need, and I shamelessly undulated my hips. I could already feel my climax starting to build. He knew exactly what I needed, his fingers and tongue coaxing me until I cried out, my pussy throbbing with my release.

Tremors still shook through my body as I raised up and then slowly impaled myself on his cock. Edward grunted his approval, his fingers biting pleasurably into the skin of my hip and thigh as we settled into the slow rhythm that would carry us over the edge.

Edward moaned and muttered words and nonsense noises against my neck as I rode him. I could feel the tightening begin again low in my abdomen, and I knew that my release was imminent, just as I knew that my orgasm would trigger his. I moved faster, my fingernails digging into his shoulders and my mouth frantically seeking his. Our tongues tangled wildly, teeth nipping and clashing as I reached the peak first. A low groan sounded from my throat as my orgasm overtook me, and I shuddered in his arms with the force of it.

"Christ, Bella!" he shouted, pistoning his hips sharply as I felt him release within me. We stayed that way for immeasurable moments before I all but collapsed against him, our bodies covered with a thin sheen of sweat.

As our breathing returned to normal, I could feel his fingers move against the skin of my back as he signed his love for me. He had done that the very first time we made love, and every single time since. It always gave me chills, it was such an intimate gesture between us. He kissed me softly, reverently, his lips warm against my skin, and I sighed with pleasure. These were the moments I lived for.

With one last, lingering kiss, I disentangled myself from his embrace and stood on wobbly legs. I grimaced as I felt the evidence of his release dribble down my thigh.

Edward laughed at my expression, reaching out with one hand to steady me. _Shower time_, he signed.

He led me up the stairs to our ensuite bathroom. He continued to kiss and caress me as we shivered and waited for the water to warm, his touch a dormant flame across my skin.

As we stepped beneath the spray from the dual shower heads, he reached for my shower gel, lathering up a pouf and gently stroking it over my tired limbs, soothing and comforting.

I giggled when he paid extra attention to my breasts, teasing my nipples. I laughed and squirmed when he swiped the pouf across the growing bump between my hips, where the tight skin was ultrasensitive to his touch.

_Is the baby ticklish? _He teased, his slippery fingers caressing the spot where our son or daughter grew.

**I don't know, but mama sure is is**, I responded, laying my hand over his as he cradled my bump. His smile widened as the baby nudged against our hands.

Then I yawned hugely. And Edward laughed. _Mama is tired! Let's get you two to bed._

**It's your fault. You wore me out!**

Edward smothered a yawn of his own, nodding in agreement. _We wore each other out._ _But please, feel free to wear me out any time. I love pregnancy hormones._

A short while later we were cuddled beneath the blankets. I watched as Edward fell asleep, his hand sprawled in the sign for "I love you" across my abdomen and the crooked grin I loved on his lips.

I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, content that reality was even better than my dreams.

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_Four months later_

It's a girl!

Edward and Isabella Cullen proudly announce the arrival of

Harper Elizabeth Cullen

on June 20

7 pounds, 6 ounces, 19-1/2 inches long

**THE END**

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**And there you have it - Listen With Your Heart. **

**I want to thank my husband, who has been tremendously understanding and supportive of his crazy wife writing the story told by the voices in her head. I am the luckiest woman alive to have such a supportive and inspirational partner - I love you, sweetheart!**

**All my love to iadorepugs and athomejo, who stuck by my side through the good and the bad, offering support, advice, feedback, and the occasional virtual slap when I needed to be reined in. **

**Special thanks to SunflowerFran, Rita01tx and RobAttack, tehlemonadestand, and all the others who shared my story with their friends and brought so many new readers on board - it is so humbling to have readers and writers that I have read and adored over the years reading my little fic. I appreciate each and every favorite, follow, PM, and review.**

**No sequel is planned, but I may play around with some outtakes in the future - because of the drabblish manner in which they told me their story, there are some scenes that could be revisited in greater detail, or even in Edward's POV. Besides, these two have brought me so much happiness that I just don't want to let them go. If you'd be interested in reading any of those outtakes, please put me on author alert.**

**Thank you to you all, from the bottom of my heart. And if I could ask, just one last time - please drop me a note and let me know what you think. **

**Love, A.L.**


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